It’s official: The Writers Guild of America has a shiny new four-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Members approved the contract with 90.38% (or 4,282 votes) in favor. That left 9.62% (or 456 votes) opposed. Notably, this is much lower than the vote turnout from 2023, when nearly 9,000 votes were cast in favor of that deal with a 99% overall approval. The guild has more than 11,000 members.
The fact that the writers have a ratified deal before the other two above-the-line unions, SAG-AFTRA and the DGA, have even wrapped talks is quite a turn of events after 2023’s fraught bargaining cycle. In fact, DGA doesn’t even start talks until May. The WGA was actually second in line to negotiate with the studios, but SAG-AFTRA extended its own deal talks after bumping up against writer talks in March. The actors will resume bargaining April 27.
While the WGA managed to surprise Hollywood with a tentative deal less than a month into bargaining, the achievement involved some concessions. The most obvious is the extension of the contract itself. WGA West leadership previously told Deadline they weren’t keen to accept a longer deal, but newly elected AMPTP President Greg Hessinger managed to push them on that. The studios wanted a five-year deal, so there was compromise on both sides.
Then there’s the healthcare of it all, which took center stage in writer negotiations this year and will certainly be a big topic of conversation in both SAG-AFTRA and DGA talks as well. All three unions’ health plans are hurting after operating in a deficit the past few years due to increased unemployment amid rising healthcare costs. The WGA’s plan was in the worst shape of them all with very little solvency remaining, we hear, so the studios agreed to fork over $321 million over the life of the contract to fix the issue.
As part of that cash infusion, the WGA managed increases in the employer contribution caps, which had been stagnant.
In return, the WGA agreed to a host of modifications and rollbacks on the guild health insurance policy. Technically, the union’s board of directors has sole authority to approve changes to the health plan, but the studio deal makes that a moot point since the money is contingent on the board doing so.
The union also moved the needle forward in a minor capacity on the residual and AI front, as well as minimum rate increases. No luck on room sizes.
In a statement on the deal, WGAW President Michele Mulroney said: “In the face of industry contraction and runaway healthcare cost inflation, writers were able to secure a contract that returns our Health Fund to a sustainable path and builds on gains from the 2023 strike. We could not have achieved that without a thoughtful negotiating committee led by co-chairs Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and John August, the WGAW Board and WGAE Council, and our professional WGA staff. We thank all writers who supported us during the process.”
An AMPTP spokesperson added: “The AMPTP congratulates the WGA on the ratification of its new contract, which includes historic investments in the writers’ health plan, meaningful improvements in residuals and wages, and important safeguards for their work. This deal reflects a collaborative approach that supports both writers and the industry’s long-term stability. We look forward to building on this progress to reach fair agreements with SAG-AFTRA and the DGA that support greater certainty while fostering opportunity across the industry.”
The writers guild has been laser-focused on this deal since March, opting to square that away before western division executives presumably turn their attention back to the WGA West’s striking staff. The WGSU, made up of 116 non-supervisory staff members, walked off the job in February. We hear the two sides have not had much communication since around March 11, when the guild put its latest offer on the table.
Guild sources say that WGAW executive director Ellen Stutzman laid out the “path to a deal” in a few conversations beyond that day. There’s a bit of wiggle room in some areas, but WGAW management largely views that proposal as their best and final. That hasn’t deterred staff though. The WGSU recently held a vote to gauge members’ interest in staying on strike after more than two months (and nearly a month after losing access to health insurance). Membership voted to stay on the picket line.
We understand WGSU leaders reached out to WGAW management again this week to try to resolve the conflict. Staff has offered bargaining dates this weekend and also proposed mediation with California’s State Mediation and Conciliation Service. SMCS mediators recently assisted UTLA and LAUSD in settling their contract.
As for WGA East (whose staff has been unionized for years and is not on strike), President Tom Fontana says: “Now, our Guilds will turn to the core work of enforcing the MBA and ensuring writers are paid properly for our work, as we monitor the industry trends around streaming and AI. It’s our constant engagement and vigilance between negotiations that make our unions strong.”
